MIXOLOGY
TEXT
WENDY WATTA
HOT
SHOTS
Sankara’s Yeri Randu takes home the
coveted 2015 ‘Mixologist of The Year’
When I walked into the Zing Bar
at DusitD2 Hotel for the Absolut
Mixologist of the Year competition,
the three judges were perched on
bar stools by the counter looking on
as Benu Kundra mixed up his first
cocktail with such flair and finesse
that I knew we were all in for quite
the show. And no, not just because
of all the fantastic cocktails I knew I
was about to down.
The premise of the competition
was simple; each of the six finalists
were making two cocktails. The first
was one of their choosing while the
second was made using a mystery
box containing Absolut flavours like
citron, mango, raspberry and peppar,
with a dash of monin flavoured
syrups for that extra zing. With the
clock ticking and someone at hand
to keep announcing how much time
was left, there was no better way to
test the efficiency, skill, presentation,
product knowledge, showmanship
and creativity of all the contestants.
Along with Alex Kavita (Mixologist
of the year 2013 winner) and Lauren
Henderson (Director at Garnish with
over 15 years experience in the
Wines and Spirits industry across the
world) was Nelson Aseka (head of
PR and Brand Education Manager at
Pernod Ricard Kenya) as the judges.
Nelson reminisced that before 2006,
you would find a lot of bartenders
who just knew how to mix drinks but
fast forward to today and they had
taken their art to another level with
such flair and self-expression that he
believed that these six finalists could
compete in a global setting. As Alex
38.38.
aptly put it “This is a momentous
time for Kenyan mixologists to
re-invent the scene, raise the bar
and showcase the very best of their
talent. We will be looking for that
one finalist who standouts not just in
their skill but also their personality
and originality to be crowned the
winner”.
While Yeri Randu prepared to
tackle his mystery box, Lauren and
I chit chatted about how most of
the cocktails we had sampled that
afternoon had been customized for
the Kenyan consumer, and it’s no
secret that we generally have an
affinity for sweeter drinks. Despite
being sweet, however, they were
really well balanced. I have quite
a few standout cocktails from the
competition that would make me
drive over to certain establishments
just to have the mixologists whip
up for me. Forget athletics...Kenya is
well on its way to being known for
mixology!
Winners:
Yeri Randu (Sankara) - 1st
Benu Kundra (Brew Bistro) - 2nd
Finalists:
Dennis Olonyi (dusitD2)
Luckman Oyebode (Caramel)
Philip Gaza (Mercury)
Wilberforce Ochanda (Juniper)
Judges:
Alex Kavita (2013 champion)
Lauren Henderson (Garnish)
Nelson Aseka (Pernod Ricard)